Sky Sports ad exemplifies ‘it must be AI’ purgatory

Uber Eats and Sky Sports’ recent advert is so successful conceptually, it had many people wrongly calling it out as being AI. Is this the new normal?

Uber Eats has launched a four-year partnership with Sky Sports, tapping into the UK’s football fervour with its ‘When You’ve Done Enough’ brand platform. The campaign kicked off with a teaser that exploded across social media, racking up 2 million views in just 24 hours on Great British Memes’ Instagram.

There was a ‘problem’, however, as many speculated that the unlikely offering must be AI-generated. So much so, that Uber Eats stepped in to confirm it’s very real “and it’s only the beginning”.

The campaign in question reunites three of English football’s most legendary ex-managers: Sam Allardyce, Tony Pulis, and Alan Pardew. In a nod to their storied careers, the trio is shown enjoying some well-earned downtime, watching Premier League matches with food delivered via Uber Eats.

The concept, of course, is that these footballing titans, who’ve given their all to the game, can now kick back and let Uber Eats handle the rest.

The short films will air around every Premier League game broadcast on Sky Sports throughout the season. The campaign, described as a “once-in-a-lifetime project” by the creative team, was brought to life through close collaboration with Uber Eats and its partners, with George Bacon’s name cheekily referenced in the buzz around the teaser’s authenticity.

Our take

Directed with a mix of humour and nostalgia, this ad is a victim of its own success for several reasons.

The apparent ‘AI look and feel’ of the ads is an accidental culmination of several strengths, namely: the expensive camera work and smart direction, the tint/waxy sheen that gives a slight unreality to the proceedings, the giant grapes in one shot that look a little ‘pasted in’, and - perhaps most of all - the unexpectedly flawless performances by three (of all professions) football managers. Surely only an AI could simulate such eerie precision and timing?

Still, all of this is a mere distraction at this point as the campaign is off to a strong start. The viral success of the teaser, amplified by fan accounts and football communities, is testament to its net appeal.

We can’t help but wonder, though, if - after a questionable start - AI video is getting to a stage where it can (if often wrongly) be mistaken for the real thing?

Will this change mean that agencies adopt AI because people will assuming they’re using it even if they’re not? Food (large grapes presumably) for thought.